Obituary

Jerry Dale McKenzie

September 21, 1939 - November 4, 2024

Jerry Dale McKenzie, age 85 and a resident of Pine, passed away Monday morning November 4, 2024 at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. He attended Pine High School where he played on the football and basketball team, creating a love of sports that lasted the rest of his life. Jerry worked for many years at Dairyman, Inc. while also maintaining, alongside his father, a successful dairy farm of his own. He later worked for DIFCO for many years as a millwright and welder before retiring. In younger years, he was a volunteer coach and leader of the Pine Basketball and Football Associations. Mentoring countless young people through sports led him to his next “job” in retirement, serving as the Team Equipment Manager for the Pine Raiders Football team for 21 years. He was affectionately known as Paw Paw to all the players and coaches and he loved getting to know each and every one. It was his honor to share in all the team’s success and sometimes heartache through the years.

Jerry enjoyed deer and turkey hunting and he once owned a set of dogs for deer and fox hunting. His CB handle was “Milkman” to the many hunting buddies he spent time with in the outdoors. Recently, Jerry was the unofficial greeter at Pine Chevron, where he arrived early each morning to make the coffee and biscuits and he always loved visiting with his buddies and the customers as they started their day. Once his morning duties were complete, Jerry would play dominoes nearly every day at the Senior Citizen Center in Pine. He was a very social person and well known in the community as his hobbies indicate. He was a friend to everyone he met. Jerry was a longtime active member of Stateline Missionary Baptist Church that truly loved the Lord and his church family. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather and it always brought him great joy to be at every ballgame or event that his grandchildren were involved in. Paw Paw will be forever missed by all that knew him.

Survived by: Wife of 44 years: Theresa Gerald McKenzie of Pine; 2 Daughters and a Son in law: Sonya and Kenny Eriksen of Biloxi, Bridgitt McKenzie of Pine; Son and Daughter in law: Derrick and Kandace McKenzie of Pine; Grandchildren: Bladen and Brook Thomas, Kinley Thomas, Aniston McKenzie, Grace Brumfield, Bella Eriksen, Adelyn McKenzie, Ethen Eriksen, Sofia Sachleben, Alexa McKenzie; Great-granddaughter: Paisley Thomas and 2 expected great-grandchildren; Sister and Brother in law: Betty and Danny Knight; Sisters in law and a Brother in law: Mary Lee McKenzie, Johnny and Joyce Gerald; Also numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and many dear friends

He was preceded in death by his son Allen McKenzie, parents Hilton McKenzie and Oda Lee Kennedy McKenzie, brother Shelby McKenzie, sister and brother in law Stella and Dick Forbes, father in law and mother in law Talmage and Fannie Gerald, sister in law and brother in law Wynetta and Roy Temples.

Visitation will be at Crain Funeral Home Wednesday November 6th from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm. Visitation will continue Thursday at Stateline Baptist Church (31384 Hwy. 62) from 9:00 pm until 11:00 am. A funeral service will be held in the church at 11:00 am Thursday with Bro. Trey Jenkins, Bro. David Easterling and Bro. Matt Williams officiating. Burial will follow in the New Gerald Cemetery.

Pallbearers: Grant Temples, Tristan Bourgeois, Jon-Ashton Dykes, Michael Dupre, Peyton Knight, Taylor Williams